Policy Statement Defines PT Role in Concussion Management

Because concussions are complex injuries, a team of multidisciplinary health care providers is in the best position to evaluate and manage a patient with concussion, noted the House in adopting a position on concussion management. Physical therapists (PTs) are an integral part of such a team, the House said, and the new APTA position, The Physical Therapist's Role in Concussion Management, will help association members as they advocate for legislation and practice initiatives that recognize the PTs' role in the evaluation and management of concussion. The position provides inclusive language that focuses on the decisions to remove an individual from, and return him or her to, activity.

The impetus for this motion came from a policy statement passed adopted by APTA's Board of Directors earlier this year in light of the considerable amount of public policy being considered involving concussion management. As of February, concussion-related legislation had been introduced in more than 20 states, enacted in at least 10 states, and introduced in the US House of Representatives.[RC 19-11]